It’s been 14 months and we are still at home. Some local schools have opened but Jessie’s program still does not have a start date. To say that this is getting old is an understatement.
Thank goodness, Jess has been able to Zoom. Her Day Program has done an exceptional job presenting subjects. They feature destinations, explore topics, and allow her to share which keeps her captivated.
Zooming is from 9:30-12 pm. I didn’t think she would sit for hours but I was wrong. We refer to these sessions as her “job”. After breakfast and before the program, there is no entertainment. This way, she isn’t being pulled away from an enjoyable activity before she goes to “work”.
When Jess began this format, I sat with her. Over a few weeks time, I faded myself out. Now, she is 99% independent. While she’s working, I can do chores, inside and out. She stays focused and only needs minimal assistance.
Because she’s using my old laptop that has aged out, there is an error message that pops up. This prompts her to tap keys, resulting in exiting the program. Times like this, I wish the old MacBook had the guided access feature.
Jess is a tinkerer and likes to know how things work. It’s been good for her to have free rein and deal with the consequences. This freedom has enabled her to generalize information. For example, we have several remotes for our TV which makes it complicated. She’s been problem-solving how each controller works and is able to find her own content.
Unfortunately, I have a tendency to control her world. I’m learning to check myself before stepping in to assist. For years, Jess wanted my help. Now she is pushing me away because she prefers to do things for herself which pleases me no end.
Even though Jess has been home for longer than expected, I’m encouraged to see her confidence grow. It’s been good not being governed by a time clock. As best we could, we have taken advantage of this time, however, Jess is ready to get out of the house.
When her program does open, I’m told the staff will be wearing masks. She is a visual learning and the masks are a huge barrier. For Jessie, she needs to see facial expressions. If the tone of voice and expression weren’t important, then there wouldn’t be so many problems on social media. We need all the cues in order to understand intent.
The world has been in a constant state of fear. When fear takes over, emotions, logic, and science go out the window. There is so much information that contradicts the masks. If you read the disclaimer on the mask packaging, it says that they do not prevent Covid. Actually, there is a lot of information out there that the news does not report but I digress.
Jess has not worn a mask. This has been for many reasons but the main one is because she won’t wear one. It’s invasive to her. The local stores have been under a strict mask mandate but the larger stores like Costco, Home Depot, and Lowes have never turned her away. It boggles my mind why people don’t question all the discrepancies? It wasn’t that long ago my doctor said that there wasn’t anything she could do for my respiratory illness because IT WAS A VIRUS. There is no cure for the common cold. Nothing adds up, at least to me.
Oh well, it is what it is. I guess we just have to wait for the pendulum to swing back. Common sense must prevail. All I know is that Jess needs the least restrictive environment. She is a free spirit after all.
nice job!
Thank you for the update and adorable picture!